The present invention relates generally to data processing, and more particularly to methods, systems, and computer program products for producing transporting, and capturing network traffic data.
A variety of value-added services or new product offerings are being introduced in the telecommunications industry in order to attract new customers and remain competitive in a marketplace that is continuously evolving in light of advancements in technology and customer demands. Some of these services are often quite successful as indicated by their widespread adoption among competitive service providers. In introducing new products and services, it is beneficial to measure the impact of these product/service offerings on a customer base. In a brick and mortar business, it is not a difficult task to measure the affects of launching a new product or service on the market, as virtually any inventory management system can provide details of the product demand in terms of units ordered and sold. However, it is not as simple to measure the impact of a new product or service launched by the communications service industry. Measuring changes in a customer's online activity upon the introduction of a new service, for example, would be difficult to assess due to the ubiquitous nature of the Internet.
What is needed, therefore, is a way to collect and analyze targeted network traffic data generated by subscribers of a network service.